Infamous Billa is an artist with a backstory and a future, both aiding in molding him to who he is, and who he is becoming. His music is a staple in hip hop, and he also has a budding cannabis business that launched its new product “Space Gas” that is an infused flower product combining moon rocks with bubble hash Kief as well as live resin. He stands by his slogan “good karma over bad karma,” a reference to smoking weed as therapy as opposed to opiates.
His latest project “INTERPOL” was inspired the Weeknd’s earlier compositions and he’s currently promoting the upcoming release of his debut mixtape on Datpiff, “Undefined.” The mixtape details his crazy life thus far and uses influences like Tupac to let his pain and experiences connect through his music.
iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/infamous-billa/1537899111
Today we had an exclusive chance to interview the rapper:
Raptology: What is your legal name and age?
Infamous Billa: Malcolm George Abbott (I wish I was named after Detroit Red but for some reason doubt it.)
Raptology: How did you come up with a stage name?
Infamous Billa: My Brother gave me the name. It was when we were having a conversation about local happiness vs global happiness. Local happiness are the quick fixes in life. They’re band aids. Money, sex, drugs. If you’re internally happy -of course those things inhance your shit, but if you are spiritually void and rich then all you got is a number to your name. The name Billa is derived from symbolism behind the dollar bill. I’d buy the gang bottles every night if it made me happy but before that I wanna make sure kids eat, get a real education, as well as financial knowledge.
Raptology: Where are you from?
Infamous Billa: I was born at Lenox Hill hospital on the Upper East side. Starting at 13, due to me being young and smug, my dear friend Jaye let me move into his crib.
Raptology: Where are you now?
Infamous Billa: Right now I live in Tribeca. I launched a home studio out of the crib. I love it because a technologically illiterate person like myself is being forced out of my comfort zone.
Raptology: Who would you say inspired you the most, as an artist?
Infamous Billa: Tupac hands down. And that’s objective. What draws me to music is the lyrics. He made it cool to be politically active.
Raptology: Talk me through your creative process.
Infamous Billa: My creative process is a product of Rakim. I either watch a movie, see a fight, go through some shit or whatever but Rakim said “flow like Miles Davis played the trumpet.”
Raptology: Do you remember the first rhyme you wrote?
Infamous Billa: No I don’t but I remember hearing Keep Ya Head Up right before a song about how “bitches were dogs.” So I said “this song ain’t about cars and bitches for you I go hard without being misogynistic.” I cherish women. But a bitch is a bitch like men can be assholes. But I’ll admit it-y’all women are smarter.
Raptology: Where and how do you work best?
Infamous Billa: I only work best being surrounded by my team. First off, I think that Bodé Vaz, is not only a talented engineer, but someone who understands sound enough to capture your vocal tone.
Raptology: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your music?
Infamous Billa: The best compliment is always after someone hears a new joint and they ask “is this really you?” That’s when you know you got em.
Hulda Hicks was born in Brooklyn, NY in the late ’70s, at the time when Hip-Hop music was just emerging as an art form. Her entire life was influenced by the culture, having grown up in the epicenter of the creative movement.
As a trained musician and vocalist, Hulda got exposed to the industry in her twenties and has worked on projects with iconic figures such as the Chiffons, the Last Poets, and Montell Jordan, to name a few. Her passion for music extended past the stage on to the page when she began to write ad copy and articles as a freelancer for several underground publications.
A written review from “Jubilee Huldafire” is as authentic as it gets, hailing from one creative mind that has a unique voice, on paper and in person.
